POND, Calif. (KERO) — Nonprofit organization God's Pit Crew continues to work to help restore the community of Pond, California after homes there were devastated by the winter's rains and floods. Volunteers and volunteer coordinators hope their work will ensure a positive quality of life for the residents.
Volunteer with God's Pit Crew Russell Bilbery says at this point in the project, the goal is to finish the week strong and get as much done as possible, adding that God's Pit Crew will be back in Pond on August 7 with a crew of fresh workers to finish the job.
"We're hoping to see, you know, ending this week, we'd like to have all the plumbing fixtures in and be in a position where we can start to have pretty much a full functioning house," said Bilbery.
Bilbery says although this is the plan, a recent drop in volunteers has put them off track a bit. They're now down to 15 volunteers compared to the 70 they had earlier in the year.
Immediate Disaster Response Coordinator for God's Pit Crew Miles Willer says their biggest issue so far is trying to match up tasks with volunteers.
"Depending on what volunteers you have and depending on what skill sets that they have," said Willer. "That's always a little bit of struggle because you might have somebody who's an electrician but they won't. e there when you're doing electrical work, so that's always a bit of a struggle, but we're getting it done."
Bilbery says volunteers have painted and built new walls and roofs. The new countertops have been ordered, but they are not yet installed.
Pond resident Bilqees Ubadi says repairs to her home are almost completed and she is overjoyed to see it all coming together, but volunteers are still needed to finish the job.
"We were able to get the walls. Get mudding, get it ready for the painting, and they did a lot. It was a blessing. We're hoping we get some more volunteers because there's a lot of work," said Ubadi. "There's still a lot of work that needs to be done."
Bilbery says God's Pit Crew is an organization of their word, stating that when they start a project, they intend to see it through. He says he understands that not many people like to work in the heat and that people can be busy, but donating even an hour of time is greatly appreciated.
While they wait for more volunteers, Bilbery says God's Pit Crew is on standby and ready to return for the final push.
"If we, for whatever reason - the heat, the temperatures, it gets in our way - we're still not done," said Bilbery. "So they'll be back for it, and they've committed to doing that, so they've made a commitment to this community and they're not going to abandon it."
Bilbery says coming back after a week will allow workers to be well-rested and have a fresh approach when coming back to the project. It will also give them time to regroup and determine how to best use the labor force they have.
To ensure the long-term success of each home, volunteers are still needed. If you would like to be there for the final push in Pond, please visit God's Pit Crew's website to learn how.
